There are four options that NDIS participants can choose from to manage their funding. These are self, agency, combination and plan management. Each NDIS participant will work with a professional to personalise their plan with their specific goals and support funding. After you have qualified for funding, you will have the opportunity to choose how you would like your plan to be managed. Unsure of what NDIS plan management is or how it works? Read on for a breakdown of what each kind of plan management is.

Self Managed

If you feel you are capable of complete control of your plan and goals, you may choose to self-manage your NDIS plan. As you self-manage your plan, you have direct responsibility for the funding in your plan, organising your services and filling out complex paperwork.

Benefits of a self-managed plan are having complete control over your plan and funding, particularly when booking services with various providers. Participants who choose to self-manage their NDIS plan should be aware that they are entirely responsible for record keeping and management of their NDIS-allocated funds.

Agency Managed

Agency-managed plans are those that are directly managed by the National Disability Insurance Agency. If you choose to have your plan agency-managed, the NDIA is responsible for paying providers, managing funds and completing paperwork. Most NDIS plans are managed in this way, as participants do not have to track money and finances and instead can just focus on their services.

Agency-managed plans however add limitations to what service providers you book with, as the NDIA will book you in with NDIS registered providers.

Plan Managed

Another option for plan management is to have a third party act on your behalf as a ‘plan manager’. Slightly different from an agency-managed plan where you meet with a support coordinator from the NDIA, you will meet with a plan manager to discuss your services. There are many different plan management organisations or accountants that can act as your plan manager.

This plan-managed option offers the benefits of both agency and self-managed plans in reducing financial and administrative responsibilities on you, but still giving you partial responsibility and power in choosing your services and allocating funds.

Combination

If you want different types of responsibility towards your plan, such as booking your service providers yourself, but want somebody to assist you in paying and allocating funds, you are able to choose to have your different elements of your plan managed in different ways.